A portrait from my mother’s modelling portfolio  

My mother is a former top model and my father used to be a wind surfer. My parents and I have had so many unforgettable memories together. My dad had a fascination with storms, like most surfers. He would wake me up in the midst of a storm, mum would wrap me in a blanket and give me my hot chocolate and we would sit in the car watching the storm with the radio turned up blasting Bob Marley. My childhood got a bit turbulent when my parents divorced, but it taught me how to cope with and accept change. I moved to different schools a lot so I never got the opportunity to build long-term friendships. I’ve never seen it as a hindrance as it allowed me to focus more on my academic skills instead of insecure friendships. Because of my upbringing, partying, drugs and drinking has never appealed to me as much as having a stimulating conversation in an intimate bar/café playing live music.

A tear-sheet from my mother’s modelling portfolio  

When I was younger, my mother tried to push me into modeling, but I have always been more interested in creating the imagery rather than being the image. Beauty is transient, but the creations of an artist are everlasting. My desire to study and not be studied has been a contributing factor to my use of the camera as a filter between me and my subjects. Behind the camera I can be unnoticed allowing me to observe the attitudes and behavior of others.

One of few self-portraits

As a teenager I was stigmatized with Mensa. My high IQ alienated me from my age group, so I began to see my intelligence as a curse rather than a gift. Now, it’s not something that I’m proud or embarrassed about, but I am more comfortable expressing these feelings through my art. A lot of my friends and family think I should have a more academic career. It was only after my first solo exhibition at a recognised gallery in Copenhagen that they now appreciate my enthusiasm and commitment to my art.

My dad has always tried his best to support me both mentally and financially. He brought me my first DSLR camera several years ago, which was my first step into the world of photography. I experimented with different photographic genres and learned how to use the camera, but I never managed to create exactly what I had in mind because the images were too close to reality. This is where I developed my interest for photographic manipulated art.

I like the idea of giving my photographs a new meaning through the use of digital manipulation techniques. I’m very inspired by dystopian dreams and my experiences and reflections about my generation and relevant issues in today’s society. My work explores loneliness, anonymity, individualisation, alienation, globalisation and the fear of death.

I’m also very fascinated by the human body, which is why nudity features a lot in my work. I see the human body as a limitless source of inspiration, especially the young female body, which is characterised by both uncertainty and vulnerability. In my upcoming series of images I will be focusing on beauty ideals in today’s society. I believe that the concept of the perfect woman and the perfect body is inhuman and unreal and therefore impossible to live up to, especially if you don’t use ‘photoshop day cream’. This is why the one thing I would advise any women to do is to believe in themselves, be happy, independent and to retain their integrity and not base their entire existence on materialism.

I am Complexd because I am a girl shaped by my good and bad experiences. Being unique is something that my generation strives for and everyone is doing their utmost best to stand out from the crowd. In my opinion, their attempts to do so always fail because they seek to stand out by following the social norms and rules of everyone else trying to stand out. Perhaps I’m Complexd because I simply do not make an attempt to stand out – instead of exposing myself I choose to expose my art and let my changing artistic expressions define me as a person.  We are all unique individuals – if only we dare to relax and stop trying to outdo each other and let our true personalities shine.

View more of Marie’s work here